The White Wind Howls (17)
The White Wind Howls (17)
#103
"Well— I saw the one that started with 'Lucien loves getting her filthy asshole pussy cleaned, squelch squelch.'"
"............"
I had known that was coming. Maybe I should have figured out the least painful way to die beforehand.
"Hah..."
Estelle let out a long sigh and stared down at me coldly.
"Who started it first?"
If I had to point fingers, Lucien did, but...
'Lucien started it!' — how could I possibly say that?
"I started it."
I said it while looking at Estelle with as confident an expression as I could manage.
"To be precise, I started it, and Lady Lucien accepted my feelings."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"If Lady Lucien truly disliked it, she would have cast me out."
"......Fine. I'll bend over backwards a hundred times and assume the two of you had that— sexual relationship. But wasn't it you, Mr. Do-yun, who forced those bizarre and outrageous fetishes onto Lucien?"
"Bizarre and outrageous fetishes, you say?"
"That... I mean relations in an improper place. There is no way the pure Lucien would suggest doing such wicked things."
"It was all consensual."
"Lucien agreed to it?"
Estelle's eyes went wide, and she began to waver.
It seemed this woman didn't know her friend as well as she thought.
Well, everyone has at least one secret that's hard to confess. She probably never dreamed that the pure and seemingly delicate Lucien harbored such extreme fetishes.
This was my informational advantage about Lucien, known only to me. If I leveraged it, I was certain I could navigate this perilous situation. A confident stance was naturally the right play in circumstances like this.
"Yes, I suspect the same conversation will just keep circling— if there's nothing else, may I go to sleep now?"
"........."
"Even if I speak further with Lady Estelle, it will only lead to mildly embarrassing stories. And since these private matters belong to the personal life shared between Lady Lucien and myself, I believe it would be improper to discuss them further."
Checkmate!
Perhaps this woman didn't actually have the nerve to kill me after all. On the contrary, now that her friend Lucien's unexpected private life was tangled up in this, her mouth was effectively shut, unable to raise any counter-arguments.
I supposed I no longer had to commit suicide.
"W-well, that is true."
"Then I really will sleep now. And please keep what happened a secret going forward. I think things might get a little troublesome if Lily finds out."
"......Just promise me you won't treat Lucien carelessly."
"Yes, of course. We are in a loving relationship, after all."
Before I knew it, the oppressive aura Estelle had radiated, reminiscent of my mother, had vanished, leaving only a deflated expression.
That was when it happened.
Rustle—
"Who's in a loving relationship with whom?"
Through a slight gap in the tent flap, a white-haired woman poked her head out.
***
***
To kneel.
In English it's kneel, in Chinese it's 下跪, in Japanese it's 正座.
In any case, it expressed a posture where one's knees were placed on the ground and one sat politely. And it was my current posture.
"Do-yun, I believe I heard something. If I don't get a proper explanation, my sword might want to cut off the head sitting on your shoulders."
Estelle was already standing behind Lily, wearing a gleeful expression. She was probably thinking that meeting her rightful owner made this a clear case of "serves you right."
"No, I mean, it's kind of a long story if I try to explain it—"
"Do-yun, it seems you've forgotten our goal a little. The road we have to travel is very long."
"Yes."
"This is no time for frivolous love talk like that. It's time to sleep for tomorrow."
"That's right."
"Earlier, when I said we should move at night, you just stared at me indifferently, but when it comes to sleeping, you weren't sleeping and were off doing stupid things instead?"
"That... wasn't a stupid thing..."
"Just looking at the state of things, I can make a rough guess. Do-yun, you slept with her, didn't you?"
"......Yes."
"It's none of my business who you do what with, but pick your time and place. And did it feel good, seducing an innocent girl into sleeping with you?"
Hah— I keep telling you, I wasn't the one who did the seducing... Should I just say that outright?
"I'm disappointed in you, Do-yun, in many ways. Just hurry up and go to sleep."
"Lady Lily—"
"Don't use my name so casually. Call me Countess Rosenheim."
With those final words, Lily disappeared into the tent.
Zzz—
Amidst it all, with the sound of Lucien's breathing as she slept, blissfully unaware of the world, the blonde woman spoke as background noise.
"I assume you heard everything I wanted to say from Lily. Please be more careful going forward. And treat Lucien a little more preciously."
And so, I was left all alone in the dark forest, unable to sleep a single wink until the sun rose.
#104
The sun rose.
"Let me brief you on today's itinerary."
We gathered in a circle around the blonde woman and listened attentively to her plan.
Swish— Swish—
Estelle spoke as she sketched a map on the dirt floor with a tree branch.
"Our expedition's ultimate goal is to reach the House of the Great Ones. However, reaching that place with our current forces alone is close to impossible."
"Even with Lady Estelle and Lady Lucien having joined us?"
"Yes. Because the enemy's forces surpass whatever Mr. Do-yun might imagine, beyond all measure. That's why my mother prepared an arrangement for us."
"...An arrangement?"
"From now on, we are going to find an ally."
"An ally?"
"Before the world fell apart, there was a family in Arcanum responsible for the greatest military might."
"Valenor of Martial Might..."
A nostalgic name.
I wondered if Risie was alive even in this future—
"It seems you have some knowledge of Arcanum society. In any case, the master of Valenor was reported missing as soon as the 「War of the Deviants」 began, but the truth is otherwise."
"Then where is Lady Risie?"
"Mr. Do-yun is the only one who addresses Countess Valenor in such a manner. Though I don't know what relationship you two have."
Come to think of it, Maman was a very high-ranking person, wasn't she?
"This is a secret known only to my mother and myself, but I shall reveal it here. Countess Valenor is currently living in seclusion at the Collapsed Watchtower."
"I-in s-seclusion?"
Lucien answered with a slightly startled expression.
"Yes, in seclusion. I'm sorry for hiding it even from you, Lucien. It was so top secret, I had no choice."
Lucien asked with a slightly disappointed look.
"B-but, why is she in seclusion? If she'd been on the front lines, she would have been a huge help..."
"Because at present, the Countess is not in a state worthy of being called Arcanum's military might."
"It appears she suffered severe injuries."
"Yes, it seems there was a traitor within Arcanum before the war. The Countess is currently in a situation where she has lost most of her combat power due to an unexpected attack."
"Lady Estelle, I don't quite understand. If Lady Risie has lost her combat power, what kind of help are we going to request?"
"Although the Countess is powerless, the very fact that her safety is guaranteed in this collapsed world clearly suggests she has a protector."
A protector?
If there was a person who would protect her mother to the end in this chaos... it could only be family.
Rubel.
It had to be Rubel Valenor.
"It seems Mr. Do-yun has caught on as well. From now on, we will go to request the accompaniment of Rubel Valenor, who will be protecting the wounded Count."
***
***
The dark forest was far more vast than expected. We had been walking for several hours, I was certain.
Those thick tree branches that blocked most of the sunlight showed no sign of ending.
"I believe we've walked quite a bit— Lady Estelle. How much further until our destination?"
"........."
No answer returned.
I quickened my pace slightly to catch up with her and looked at Estelle's face, which wore a rather flustered expression.
"Originally we should have left the forest two hours ago— Lily."
"—Speak."
"Lily, are there any souls detectable ahead?"
"No. If there were, I would have told you already."
Thud.
Estelle's footsteps came to a halt.
"Are we caught in some kind of trap?"
"I'd say it would be fortunate if that were the case."
So what's the conclusion?
"I'm not sure either. I'm sorry. In any case, it's definitely an emergency, so everyone, please prepare for battle."
Mm.
I thought it might be better if Lily were the leader. Why did this person inspire so little confidence, both before and now...
I glanced at Lily. She was just staring straight ahead without any change in expression.
Lucien was— looking at Lily with an extremely panicked expression.
Ah, is this the start of another story only they knew about?
I wanted to be a regressor too. I genuinely felt as though I could do better than them.
At that moment, Lucien trotted over to me and grasped my right arm.
"Lady Lucien?"
"M-Mr. Do-yun. I have something I want to say for a moment... Could you lend me your ear?"
Estelle looked this way with a puzzled expression, but Lucien paid no mind and whispered into my ear.
"Th-this place is probably the entrance to a cognition inhibition barrier managed by the Valenor camp! B-but..."
"But?"
"O-originally, the Valenor forces always came out to meet us, so why didn't they come out this time? Lucien has never seen this happen before, either! Something might have happened to House Valenor—!"
"What are you two whispering about?"
Lily asked in a sulky voice.
"Lady Lucien said her legs hurt."
"......... Then, Do-yun, why don't you give her a piggyback ride."
Lily answered with a glare.
If I actually gave her a piggyback ride— Lily would probably never speak to me again. So I decided against the piggyback ride.
That was when it happened.
Kugugugugung———
The air trembled, and the space before our eyes began to tear apart.
"Everyone, prepare for battle—!!"
I raised my mana in accordance with Estelle's command.
Pashshshk—!
However—— what emerged before our eyes was not an enemy.
Although she was drenched in blood from head to toe,
she was a very familiar crimson-eyed woman—
Thump!
Rubel Valenor collapsed before us, covered in blood.